The Italian (1915)

Prolific producer Thomas H. Ince’s 1915 film The Italian starred George Beban, a stage and film actor noted for playing Italian immigrants (despite the fact that he was himself of Croatian and Irish ancestry). The film tells the story of a Venetian gondolier who moves to the United States, but faces poverty, violence, and disillusionment as he tries to make a life for himself, his wife, and his infant son.